University Heights, platted in 1893, is one of Madison’s oldest suburbs and to this day remains one of the city’s most distinct neighborhoods. The center of the neighborhood sits atop a hill and its curvilinear streets follow the topography of the land, creating many irregularly shaped and sized lots. At the time of its creation, University Heights was the only area in Madison without a gridded road system. Several of the lots are terraced, with their houses sitting high above the road, and most are relatively small compared to the size of the houses. Many of the houses in this neighborhood come within fifteen feet of the sidewalk. Although some homes are only a few yards away from their nearest neighbors, other lots are large, with homes surrounded by lawn stretching out on all sides.

The lots are not the only irregular element of University Heights; the houses themselves also vary greatly in size, style, and grandeur. Of the approximately seventy homes surveyed, the vast majority are large in size; forty-two were two-and-a-half stories while only one was a single story. The largest homes also tend to be among the oldest, which are nearest to the top of the hill. These early residents hired architects to design and build their homes. As a result, there is great variability in the housing styles, and no two homes are the same. These affluent homeowners were often more educated and, therefore, were aware of historical and contemporaneous architectural styles. The Prairie School style is most evident in University Heights, with eighteen homes in the neighborhood featuring this style. Revival styles are also extremely popular, with thirteen each of Tudor cottages and Colonial Revivals. Other revival styles in University Heights include Georgian, Elizabethan, and Queen Anne. There are a few International and Mediterranean style homes, and one Flemish house.

The mixing of styles is also seen in University Heights, which commonly results in regionalist homes. Aspects of the Prairie style pervade many of the housing designs. For example, tan stucco with dark wood trim can be found on twenty-three homes, and stained glass windows are a common accent. There is a notable lack of more modest styles such as ranch, bungalow and split level, which number in the single digits. These smaller homes also lie toward the periphery of University Heights, farther from the summit of the hill. Student housing for the nearby University of Wisconsin also frames the neighborhood, particularly along the north and east borders of Old University Avenue and Breese Terrace. These structures are not always small, but are plain and functional, to fit the needs of students and other less affluent residents.

Because it is a historic neighborhood, the houses in University Heights look much the same as they did at the time of construction. This trend holds true for garages, which are prevalent in contemporary suburbs but are kept hidden in University Heights. Exactly 50% of the houses surveyed had visible garages, and of these thirty-six, only twelve were attached to the homes. This demonstrates a clear effort in the community to keep the homes as traditional in appearance as possible. Other landscape features include porches and patios, although they were few in number, perhaps due to the lack of privacy provided by the small and close-together lots. There are some playground sets around the neighborhood, suggesting the presence of families and children; however, there are no parks and few community spaces here. Randall Elementary School is on Regent Street, the south border of University Heights, and is one of the few non-residential structures in the community. It was built in 1906, after the suburb was annexed by the City of Madison. The First Congregational United Church of Christ sits on the northeast border of the neighborhood at Old University Avenue and Breese Terrace. Built in 1930, it serves as another community structure.

One notable aspect of University Heights, especially considering its residents’ affluence, is the lack of fences in the neighborhood. Although several of the homes are very near the street and their neighbors, landscaping and plants are used to create boundaries rather than actual fences. Landscaping in general features ground-covering plants, trees, and other low shrubs, as opposed to a more typical open lawn, especially near the center of the suburb. This is probably related with the lack of green space the lots offer, as well as the irregular and often terraced land. Plants other than grass are easier to maintain and create a naturalistic look that sets University Heights apart from other Madison suburbs.